Waterkeeper Updates

(Kristen Hays-Reuters) - Royal Dutch Shell said an oil sheen near two of its offshore Gulf of Mexico oil and natural gas platforms was dissipating Thursday, and it was "very confident" its installations were not to blame.

The Hague-based company said the "orphan spill," estimated to be about six barrels of oil, was breaking up. Shell said it would continue to monitor the sea floor with a pair of underwater robots.

"Shell's subsea surveillance today and tomorrow will continue to determine if there is a connection between natural seeps and this orphan sheen," the company said.

As the second anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon offshore platform accident approaches on April 20, the sky rocketing gasoline prices at the pumps have fueled calls of “drill, baby, drill” to increase domestic oil production. The prospect of extensive deepwater oil and gas drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, the Arctic waters, and elsewhere is now stronger than ever.

HOUSTON/LONDON, April 12 (Reuters) - Shares in Royal Dutch Shell fell on Thursday as the company stepped up efforts to monitor an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, in a market still jittery after BP's 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster.

Report: FL Wetlands Continue to Suffer from BP Spill
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - It's been two years since the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, but its effects on the wildlife and shoreline are seen daily by people in the area.

April 22nd is Earth day, so we're making April Earth month! Here are some ideas to help protect our Earth's precious resources:

Water
1. Use only the water you need, turn off that faucet!
2. Help keep water clean by using biodegradable and environmentally friendly cleaning products. We all live downstream
3. Dispose of solid and liquid wastes and medications safely
4. Protect your local water source from pollutants, excess pesticides and garbage

Almost two years ago an explosion on an offshore drilling rig killed 11 men and sent 4.9 million barrels of oil gushing into the Gulf of Mexico. The result was the worst environmental disaster in United States history. Of all the local businesses affected by the spill, Louisiana's once-flourishing oyster industry is probably in the worst condition. Oysters are still scarce and consumers are still afraid to eat them.

The damaged corals were discovered in October 2010 by academic and government scientists, but it’s taken until now for them to declare a definite link to the oil spill.

Most of the Gulf’s bottom is muddy, but coral colonies that pop up every once in a while are vital oases for marine life in the chilly ocean depths. The injured and dying coral today has bare skeleton, loose tissue and is covered in heavy mucous and brown fluffy material, the paper said.